Drink A Beer
by mcangel1976
Summary: All of the hosts received a call saying that their friend died. They gather together for the first time in years and converge on a beach in order to remember him and have a drink in his honor. Deciding he was the one that brought them back together, they decide that too much time has gone by and going forward they make a new promise to each other.
1. Gone Too Soon

**Disclaimer… I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters. I am only using them for my own personal enjoyment and that of my readers.**

**A/N: Throughout life we meet people and lose people: friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. Sometimes there is no way to know when it will be our time to say goodbye. I have personally lost people I cared a lot about and this story has been rolling around in my head since the first time I heard Luke Bryan's Drink a Beer (I highly recommend listening to it) and I had to finally put it down on paper. A little over a year ago I lost a good friend who always encouraged my dreams and my writing even before I started to get serious about it, and this song is exactly what happened. We used to talk as we drank our beers and enjoyed hanging out with other friends, but the song also makes me think of the others in my life that I have lost over the years. I feel blessed that they have all been a part of my life. Enjoy the story and I hope you like it. **

Promises, wishes, dreams, good intentions, wants, and needs… There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize time has slipped away and communication that once flowed freely had become a mere trickle between each other. They were going to be friends forever, a second family that no one wanted to part with… that had been their intent, but slowly through the years, the original members of the Ouran High School Host Club drifted apart and only talked periodically, keeping up with each other more through newspaper articles and magazine clippings with the occasional phone call, email, or text message thrown in here and there. This wasn't how any of them foresaw their future during their carefree days in school, but this was how they had ended up.

One of their last times they spent as a group was during Haruhi and the twin's graduation from college. They went out to the beach and sat on the pier laughing, having fun, and enjoying that moment in their young lives. Everyone got plastered that night drinking beer and partying, celebrating that the last of the original hosts had finally graduated from college. It had not been the first time they had ended up on that pier with beer, wine, sake, or other alcohol in hand, but it had been one of the last.

After that everyone seemed to get busier and busier. They each had their lives to live and their careers to build. Tamaki was forced into an arranged marriage of his grandmother's choosing and became the president of the Suoh Corporation. He hadn't seemed very happy in either one. Kyoya did not become the heir, but instead supported his eldest brother by helping to manage the Ootori zaibatsu as one of the officers. He had somehow managed to escape an arranged marriage and wound up finding love with Haruhi after she and Tamaki were forced to breakup. The former female host did become a lawyer and realized that it wasn't a certain blond idiot that had been the love of her life, but a certain Shadow King. Hunny and Mori married girls they met during an omiai and took over their family businesses. Finally the twins were single and both in the fashion industry trying to build their own name apart from their mother's.

It didn't really seem possible, but seven years had passed since that last night on the pier and in the last four years, there had only been a handful of calls or messages from each other. No one had time any longer, but today was different and by some unspoken force, they all found themselves once again gathering on that pier, a cooler of beer in each of their hands because beer is what commoners drank. Earlier that day, they had all received the message that their good friend and former leader had been killed in a car accident. Some would probably say he was the supernatural force that pulled everyone together once again, in that one spot, on that very day. If anyone could do it, it would have been Tamaki.

Regret and guilt assailed all of them as they gathered together. They had all lost touch and were negligent in their communication skills, and it had been at least two years since any of them had seen Tamaki; and yet, when they each got the call, no one called the others with the exception of Kyoya calling Haruhi, and they still found each other at the same time at the same place on the same day.

"I think if the boss were here, he would be really happy right now," Kaoru smiled sadly missing the person that first put the crack in the world his brother and he used to reside.

Hikaru couldn't help the chuckle that escaped, "He would probably want to build a sandcastle, having a drinking contest because that is what commoners do, and somewhere in there, Kyoya-senpai would have to pull Haruhi free of his death grip."

They looked at each other and snickered simultaneously, "Unless he relied on Mori-senpai to do it."

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya could feel his eyes burning with unshed tears as he smiled thinking about his best friend and wondering where the time had gone. What had happened to them? "I think you may be right, but I would be the one rescuing her. I could always get him to listen to me after all… for the most part," he spoke softly and felt someone wrap an arm around his back. Looking down at his side, he found his wife and leaned down to kiss the top of her head grateful that Tamaki had blessed his relationship with the brunette. When Kyoya had approached the blond about dating Haruhi while they were still in college, Tamaki had looked a little sad but told him, _"She deserves to be happy and so do you. If you can be the one to do it, then I probably trust you more than anyone else. Take care of her Kyoya."_ Taking to heart what his friend had said, he did everything he could for Haruhi and lived for her, and as a result they had a strong and happy marriage.

"Tama-Chan would be happy that we are all here," Hunny said. His friend had been the first to say that it was alright to be his true self, and he never forgot that lesson, and he liked to think he had become a lot stronger for it as well.

Mori placed a hand on his cousin's head, "I'm sure he is happy." Smiling, he thought about the day he met the blond hyper-active man as teens. Tamaki had approached him separately from Hunny and asked him to be a part of the Host Club. At first he only joined because of his duty to his cousin, but in the club he had found friends that accepted him and his shorter cousin for themselves and looked at them as individuals. They found brothers… and a sister, and it was something he never wanted to give up. He wasn't sure where the time had gone and it knew it was something he would never get back, and that pained him.

Haruhi sat there and listened to everyone speak about Tamaki and knew everyone's thoughts were sorting through the various memories they all had of him. He had always been overzealous, hyper, tended to over react; and yet he was also sweet, funny, had a good heart, and was a true friend… and her first love. It hurt knowing that this world would be bereft of his sunny disposition or excited smile going forward and that they as friends had missed it over the years. Somehow it was hard to imagine that she would never see his face again, never feel his tight glomps, and never play commoner games with him again. Looking at each man that had reunited in remembrance of their friend, she realized that she had missed Hunny, Mori, Hikaru, and Kaoru… and she missed Tamaki too, but he was never coming back. Today they had been given a chance to fix what was broken and bring each other back in their lives if they chose, and she wanted that. Haruhi didn't want any more regret or another phone call saying one of them died and she hadn't spoken to them in years. These were her closest friends and she still needed them. "I think Tamaki brought us together so that we could be a family again," she declared.

Everyone smiled at that thought and nodded their agreement. Today was a turning point and going forward regardless of how busy they were they needed to find time for their friends… their second family.

"So how does that work when you married mommy?" Hikaru teased causing everyone to laugh.

This is what Tamaki would have wanted. To have a laugh, remember the good times, and rekindle the friendship. Raising her can, Haruhi proposed a toast, "To Tamaki for bringing us all together back in high school and again today. We could always depend on you no matter what. We will miss you and await the day we are all once again united. We love you!"

"We miss you Tono and hope that you are watching over us. You will always be with us and live in our hearts," Kaoru spoke through the tears that had started to fall.

"You were always crazy and never liked to be told no, but if it wasn't for you, Kaoru and I would have never found another world to inhabit," Hikaru choked letting the salt water fall freely as he collapsed against his brother.

Hunny's tears had started long ago and they were starting to flow even stronger now, "Tama-Chan, we are going to miss you. You impacted each of our lives and we are only sorry that you left us too soon."

"You were a good friend and we will see you again someday," Mori's voice trembled ever so slightly as he looked up to the sky and made his speech.

All of them held up their cans again, and looking towards the horizon shouted, "To Tamaki Suoh." None of them were sure if they had been imagining it, and they didn't talk about it after that day, but they could have all sworn they saw Tamaki's face smiling down at them one last time from above and it gave them a small sense of peace, and they knew moving forward, they would never allow this much time to pass between talking and assembling together ever again. Tamaki had brought them together more than once, and they would always cherish his memory never forgetting the man who loved them all and created the Host Club… he was where their lives began and intersected and a part of him would live inside of them for eternity.


	2. Epilogue

**A/N: In all honesty I was never going to write a second chapter to this story. I felt like it ended where it needed to and that was it. Several people have asked for another chapter and I never really got inspired to write one… until today. This weekend we are celebrating Memorial Day here in the States and as I thought about my family and everyone that served, it made me think of all of the people that have lost loved ones. So I want to say thank you to everyone that has served, had family members who served, and for the people who died protecting our country. I come from a family with a long military history and I am proud of all of them. Thank you! Here is the second and final chapter to this story… **

Epilogue

Had it really been a whole year since that tragic day? Some days it seemed as if time continued to move at warp speed and at other times it felt as if it had finally slowed down to a crawl, but as always it never stopped. It was forever moving forward, and thus the former hosts of the Ouran High School Host Club also had to move forward unable to move backwards or standstill.

On this the anniversary of the loss of their good friend, they planned to gather on that same pier and toast the dear friend they had lost, and who they were convinced brought them back together and still watched over them; they had lost a good friend, but they never again took for granted their friendships. This would become a yearly event.

Back in high school, the Host Club had become a second family to all seven members, and although life had gotten in the way after college (maybe even a little before) and they had let their friendships fall by the wayside, that family was back together and stronger than ever. Not a week went by that they didn't talk to each other by phone or email, and at least once a month they would get together for a meal… regardless of schedules or how busy they were. This was their tribute to Tamaki: to live, love, and be happy together. This is what he would have wanted: to be a family again. If there was anything the former hosts regretted, it was that Tamaki was no longer with them to make memories, joke, go ballistic when the twins harassed Haruhi (not that Kyoya didn't do something about it), and especially now… Now when the lives of his friends would be changing the most, now when he could be the crazy blond that they all knew and loved, now when it matter most, he could only be there in spirit looking down on them from above, guiding them and offering the comforting spiritual embrace… no longer the powerful glomp he once delivered; and yet, the six remaining hosts knew he was with them every day since he tragic accident that stole him from them. He would always be with them living in their hearts and memories.

However, as with many things that involve Tamaki, not everything went according to plan. A few months after they lost the blond in the car accident, Haruhi found out that she and Kyoya were expecting their first child, and everyone had been overjoyed; and the couple felt like Tamaki was also celebrating with them and happy for them. Now as she inched closer to a due date still two weeks away, Haruhi had woken up that very morning with her back hurting. Without waking up Kyoya, because the last thing she wanted to deal with was a demon, she crawled out of bed and walked around the house to try and ease the discomfort… and just as she was going to step into the shower to get ready to go out to the pier for the day, her water broke. This was not the time for this to happen. It was too soon, she still had to go out and celebrate the life of her friend with the others, and she didn't know if she was ready yet. She was supposed to have another two weeks to prepare! Alas, their little girl, did not want to wait.

And that was another thing… Haruhi could have sworn she was having a boy. It was just a feeling she had, and yet the sonogram showed a girl… of course they never got a really good picture and there was always a chance that the sonogram was wrong, but they told her a girl. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling and therefore kept everything in the nursery neutral, even if the twins didn't do that for the baby's wardrobe.

Waddling her way out of the bathroom, she walked over to the bed. There was no hope for it, she was going to have to wake the sleeping beast, "Kyoya… Kyoya, wake up."

"What?!" The sleeping form growled.

Not one to fear the dreaded Shadow King, Haruhi told him, "Kyoya, wake up. My water broke."

That immediately caught his attention and he sat up in bed, eyes wide and staring at the somewhat blurry figure standing next to him, "What?!" This time his question was full of shock and a little terror. Grabbing his glasses, he put them on as he tried to clear his head, "But you aren't due…"

"I know, but even my doctor said this could happen. We have to go to the hospital."

"What about…?"

Haruhi knew immediately what he was alluding to and she shook her head, "We won't make it. Call the others on the way."

Hopping out of bed, Kyoya got dressed, grabbed the packed bag by the door and escorted Haruhi downstairs. Today was the day, and he couldn't help the small smile that graced his face. It was a feeling he got, a feeling that Tamaki was with him today and had somehow picked this day to force Haruhi into labor because that would be just like him. Kyoya could even imagine the name of the plan, "Mission: We Have To Get The Baby Out Because I Want to See It!" There was no doubt in his mind that Tamaki would try something like this, even up there. God how he missed that crazy blond, his smiling face, the overenthusiastic daddy mode, being called mommy, and his friendship. That's what the bespectacled man missed the most: the friendship. Tamaki was the one that helped break through Kyoya's shell, the one to make him realize he was more than his family thought of him, and the one to gift him with Haruhi. On this day more than any other, he wished Tamaki was standing by his side instead of looking down from heaven.

As instructed, on the way to the hospital, Kyoya called the others and let them know what was happening and that they would have to carry on the celebration without the Shadow King or the Host Club's secret princess; and when they finally made it to the hospital after being delayed due to an accident, they found their friends waiting for them at the hospital entrance. "What about the…?"

Mori placed a hand on Kyoya's shoulder, "Tamaki would want us with you."

"That's right Kyo-Chan! We can celebrate him while here too! Although, I think it's so cool that you are having a baby today of all days!" Hunny proclaimed with a beaming smile.

"Well, it might take longer and the baby could be born tomorrow," Kyoya told his friend.

The twins glanced at each other and then at Kyoya and Haruhi and shook their heads, "Nah, Tono is going to get that baby out of Haruhi today!"

Once checked in, Haruhi was taken back to her room in labor and delivery. Her husband followed shortly after, having received a pep talk from the other guys first. A year ago this would not have happened. They might have called the others after the baby was born or possibly just sent an announcement, but things had changed. Now they realized the importance of those friendships in their lives, now they realized how easy it was to lose one of them, and now they realized that they needed each other, just like they needed Tamaki; however with the blond, they would have to settle for having him there in spirit. Haruhi had to brush a stray tear off of her face. Too soon, he had been taken from them too soon, but it was because he had been that the six friends were so close today.

Talk to any doctor and they will say that labor times vary from person to person, but for a first time pregnancy, they expect it to last longer than many, and they certainly don't expect it to last just seven hours. Everyone is different though. Seven hours of labor, of contractions and then finally pushing the last hour or so, and Haruhi was holding her little baby.

Kyoya walked into the waiting room and found his four friends awaiting news about the newest Ootori. Clearing his throat and pushing up his glasses to gain their attention, he smiled, "He's here and Haruhi is fine."

"He's?" Four voices rang out in the room. They had all been expecting a girl.

Chuckling, the Shadow King nodded, "It appears Haruhi was right once again. It's a boy."

"I guess that means we need to make some new clothes," Hikaru looked to his brother.

Kaoru nodded, "It would appear."

"This is going to be fun!" They announced.

Hunny shook his head and giggled, "Always trust Haru-Chan and what she says. Can we see them?"

Nodding, Kyoya answered, "Yes, come with me and I will take you to her room." He led the way and they eventually arrived at Haruhi's room. Knocking gently, he opened the door and grinned when he saw Haruhi's sparkling eyes lock on his face, "I have some visitors here for you."

One by one, the four other former hosts marched into the room and quickly moved over to the bed where their friend and a small baby lay. The baby had a head full of black hair and was currently sleeping peacefully, and every one of the men were captivated.

"Ano, Kyo-Chan, Haru-Chan, what did you name the baby?" Hunny asked softly.

Haruhi's smiling face met the gaze of each of her friends before she answered, "Tamaki. This is Tamaki Ootori."

Tears could be seen in each set of eyes at that moment. One year ago they had lost their best friend and found each other. One year ago they had rekindled their friendship and became a family again. One year ago Tamaki Suoh had become their guardian angel… and today, it felt like a small part of their friend had been returned to them.

"Well, this isn't a pier," Kaoru sniffled.

"But we think the boss wouldn't mind the setting," Hikaru added as he opened up a small cooler that he had with him and pulled out five beers and one apple juice, passing them around.

"Tono would want us to toast this event!" The twins stated together.

When everyone had their drinks, Kyoya was the first to speak, "To my beautiful wife for giving me a precious gift today, to our friends that are with us, thank you for being part of our lives, and to my best friend Tamaki Suoh… I miss you and I know that you are always with me, just as I know you will always watch over my son."

"Tama-Chan, you are the glue that brought us together and held us there and we miss you. You will never be forgotten and we will always honor what you have done for us," Hunny went next.

Mori held up his can, "Tamaki, thank you for everything. It was an honor to know you."

The tears flowed even more.

"Boss, you broke into our world and this past year has been lonely without you in it. We may not have been in contact much before you were taken, but it's sad the world will no longer know of your… exuberance," Hikaru said and chuckles were heard throughout the room.

Wiping his face on his shoulder, Kaoru looked upwards, "We know that although you were taken from us early, you never really left us. We miss you Tono, but we know that a part of you now resides in your namesake."

Haruhi could not stem the tears flowing down her cheeks. Her husband tried to wipe them away for her, but they were immediately replaced. Sniffling, she began, "Tamaki you were always a little crazy, but you loved us all and could always make us smile… even when you acted like an idiot and made us mad. You loved life, you loved to love, and you loved to make people happy. We miss you so much and you will always be in our hearts. I always feel you around me and I know you were with us today. This little man will know who you were. To Tamaki Suoh, to my wonderful husband, to my best friends, and to my little boy, I love you all."

Today was a day set aside to celebrate the life of a friend they had lost, but it was also now a day to celebrate new life. Their friend was missed and they all wished he could be there today of all days, and in a way he was and always would be; and they would pass on to this little baby everything Tamaki taught them about family, friendship, love, and happiness. Tamaki Suoh may be gone from the world, but he will never truly be gone from their lives or hearts. And as a beam of sunlight broke through one cloud and shined through the window, six friends thought they saw their friend standing once again with them, their guardian angel.


End file.
